Rifts Up Close: Gyro-Stabilization Rig

By Tim Willard

Heavy weapons can make all the difference in a fight, and the US Military had prided itself on its ability to manuever and fire for decades. In order to allow soldiers to easily use heavy weapons, the gyro-stabilization rig was designed in order to allow soldiers to carry these heavy weapons, as well as fire them without the heavy recoil throwing them off target.

A gyro-stabilization harness provides not only massive increase in the maximum weight of the weapon able to be carried by soldiers, but the gyroscopic stabilization allowed a soldier to control the weapon much more easily.

In addition the stabilization harness was often equipped with a BaTNI system, ECM system to prevent missile lock on, and ECCM systems to overcome the enemies defense. In 2092 the "Gyro-Stabalized Individual Heavy Weapons System" was fitting with a charging cradle for spider scopes and a dozen spider scopes.

A soldier wearing a servo rig can carry and use weapons up to twice their body weight when in the rig. The weapon is either extended out from either the right or left hip, so that the wielder fires from the hip, or the weapon is laid across the shoulder and the wielder controls the weapon via the forward grip.

The gyro-system negates most of the effects of recoil by counteracting the motion generated by the weapon. In addition, extra ammunition drums are often carried on the rig.

One thing users must note is the inherent problem in the gyro-stabilization process is this. The harness attempts to negate ALL movement. That means it takes a precious few seconds to begin moving forward from a standstill, and jinking to the right or left is automatically negated. This prompted the 2062 change that allowed the operator to shut off the gyro-stabilization system at will.

Weight: 10 lbs